Glycine betaine (GB) (Formula 1 below) is a natural and inexpensive product derived from sugar beet molasses and constitutes a prime raw material for the preparation of biodegradable and biocompatible surfactants. Sugar beet molasses contains 0.2 to 0.3% betaine which constitutes 27% of the weight of the molasses. GB is extracted from sugar beet molasses through a chromatography process with water as the eluent. GB is made of a quaternary trimethyl alkyl ammonium moiety and a carboxylate functional group and is considered as GRAS (generally regarded as safe).Me3N+—CH2—C(O)—O−
Formula 1: Chemical structure of glycine betaine.
Alkylbetaines and alkylamido betaines are the most widely used betaines. They are often made by the quaternization of a tertiary amine with chloroacetic acid. Typical betaine surfactants are illustrated in Formulas 2 and 3. The hydrophobic groups are attached to the ammonium group to provide zwitterionic or amphoteric surfactants. These surfactants exhibit both positive and negative charges due to the presence of ammonium and carboxylate groups, respectively. It is noted that the betaine group in commercial zwitterionic or amphoteric surfactants can be based on natural glycine betaine or synthesized glycine betaine.
Formula 2: Chemical Structures of Typical Betaine Surfactants.

Formula 3: Cocamidopropyl Betaine or Lauramidopropyl Betaine or Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine derived from coconut oil and glycine betaine.

Betaine-type surfactants of the prior art are mostly amphoteric or zwitterionic betaines of the type shown in Formulas 2 and 3. These surfactants differ structurally and in their areas of use as compared to the GB derivative compounds of the invention which are cationic. Cationic betaine esters are known in the art, but such are synthesized and not based on natural sources.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,384,266 B1 describes a method of synthesis of betaine esters. This patent does not disclose preparation of GB or derivatives of GB from natural sources. The method of synthesizing betaine esters is described therein as including (a) adding hydrochloric acid to a glycine betaine in a sufficient quantity to produce one mole of betaine hydrochloride for each mole of hydrochloric acid; (b) dissolving the betaine hydrochloride in water and adding concentrated hydrochloric acid to adjust the pH to 2; (c) chilling the solution for up to 24 hours, adding ethanol to facilitate formation of betaine hydrochloride crystals, filtering the betaine hydrochloride crystals, and drying the betaine hydrochloride crystals, (d) recycling the water-ethanol solution fraction for use in the next batch; (e) charging a reactor with a fatty acid derived alcohol and applying heat to liquefy the fatty acid derived alcohol, (f) adding the betaine hydrochloride crystals and an acid catalyst; (g) applying agitation and maintaining temperature; (h) reacting the mixture until esterification is complete, cooling the mixture, and adding a neutralization agent to neutralize the acid catalyst; (i) and purifying, crystallizing and drying the betaine ester product. The starting glycine betaine compound can be a by-product of sugar beet refining. The fatty acid derived alcohol is selected from a group containing 12 to 18 carbons and the esterification catalyst is sulfuric acid.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,662,225 B2 describes aqueous bitumen emulsions. The aqueous bitumen emulsions contain bitumen and a surfactant agent wherein the surfactant agent comprises at least one compound X−(CH3)3N+—CH2—CO—Z—R, X being a sulphonate radical, R being a monovalent radical C2nH2(2n−m)+1 containing 2n atoms of carbon and m double bonds, with 9≦n≦11, 0≦m≦3 if n=9 and 0≦m≦1 if n>9, and Z being selected from the group consisting of an atom of oxygen and a —NH— group.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,829,521 B2 describes cosmetic compositions comprising glycine betaine-type surfactants specifically for liquid soap, bath foam, shower gel or shampoo applications. The betaine surfactants comprise hydrocarbons chain length from C18 to C22.
FR 2 869 912 describes formulations based specifically on blends of pure ester or amide glycine betaine surfactants and commercial alkyl polyglycoside (APG) surfactants.